Filing Device for Use with Filing Cabinet or the Like

ABSTRACT

A filing cabinet system including a filing cabinet having a pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface, and a filer positioned on the filing cabinet. The filer has a first portion positioned adjacent to one of the side surfaces, a second portion positioned adjacent to the other one of the side surfaces, and a third portion positioned on the horizontally oriented surface, wherein the first portion includes a pocket thereon.

The present invention is directed to a filing device, more particularly,to a filing device which can be draped over a filing cabinet or otherfurniture or filing items.

BACKGROUND

Filing cabinets are widely used in office, home and other environmentsfor storing loose papers or the like. However, filing cabinets have afinite storage capability. In addition, filing cabinets can becumbersome to open and filled with a relatively high volume ofmaterials, making it difficult to quickly and easily locate an item ofinterest.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment the present invention is a filer which can bepositioned externally of a filing cabinet or the like, providingadditional storage capacity which is easily accessible. Moreparticularly, in one embodiment the invention is a filing cabinet systemincluding a filing cabinet having a pair of opposed, vertically orientedside surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface, and a filerpositioned on the filing cabinet. The filer has a first portionpositioned adjacent to one of the side surfaces, a second portionpositioned adjacent to the other one of the side surfaces, and a thirdportion positioned on the horizontally oriented surface, wherein thefirst portion includes a pocket thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the filer of thepresent invention, shown in conjunction with a filing cabinet;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the filer and filing cabinet ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the filer of FIG. 1, shown inconjunction with a different filing cabinet;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the filer and filing cabinet ofFIG. 3

FIG. 5 is a top view of the filer of FIG. 1, laid flat;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the filer of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the filer of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 8 is a side cross-section of the pockets of the filer of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIGS. 5-7, in one embodiment the filer 10 of thepresent invention is a generally flat, planar rectangular component. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the filer 10 has a first portion 12 and asecond portion 14 positioned on opposite sides thereof, with a thirdportion 16 positioned therebetween and directly coupled to the first 12and second 14 portions. In some cases the first 12, second 14 and/orthird 16 portions can be made of separate pieces of material and/or haveseparate properties and/or carry different components thereon. However,as will be described in greater detail below, the first 12, second 14and third 16 portions can, in some cases, at least partially be definedby their configuration when positioned on a filing cabinet, as shown inFIGS. 1-4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the first portion 12 includes a pluralityof pockets 18 formed or carried thereon. The pockets 18 can be formed ina variety of manners and take any of a wide variety of shapes. However,in the illustrated embodiment the first portion 12 includes a base panel20 (FIGS. 7 and 8), and a plurality of pocket panels 22 are coupled tothe base panel 20 in a shingled manner to provide a plurality of pockets18 in a shingled or overlapping manner. Each pocket 18 can include apair of opposed, gusseted sides 24. In the illustrated embodiment, eachpocket 18 may be sized to entirely receive an unfolded 8-½×11 sheet ofpaper therein. However, it should be understood that various otherpocket arrangements can be utilized.

The third portion 16 can be made of a relatively flexible piece ofmaterial. In particular, in one embodiment the third portion 16 issufficiently flexible such that it is not self-supporting. In otherwords, if the third portion 16 were supported or attempted to besupported in a cantilevered manner (i.e. gripped or supported at eitherend thereof), the third portion 16 would flop over and fold/falldownwardly such that a majority of the length of the third portion 16would be oriented generally vertically. In one embodiment, the thirdportion 16 has a length (i.e. the dimension extending between the first12 and second 14 portions) less than that of the first portion 12,and/or greater than the second portion 14. The third portion 16 caninclude any of a wide variety of lengths, but in one case has a lengthbetween about fourteen inches and about eighteen inches, and anotherembodiment between about twelve inches and about twenty inches. Thethird portion 16 may lack any pockets, or at least lack pockets of thesame size and/or shape as those on the first portion 12.

The second portion 14 can be relatively stiff In particular, in oneembodiment the second portion 14 has sufficient stiffness such that ifthe second portion 14 is supported in a cantilevered manner, the secondportion 14 is self-supporting; e.g. extends generally horizontally or ata 90° angle without drooping or significant deflection such that no partof the second portion 14 is oriented generally vertically. The secondportion 14 can have a shorter length than the first 12 and/or third 16portions. Moreover, in the illustrated embodiment the second portion 14includes a plurality of magnets 26 positioned therein or carriedthereon. In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 14 includes amagnet 26 at each corner thereof

As shown in FIG. 6, in one embodiment the second portion 14 can includea relatively tacky, high-friction gripping surface 28 carried thereon.In one embodiment, neither the first 12 nor third 16 portions include ahigh-friction gripping surface thereon. If the gripping surface 28 isutilized, it alone provides insufficient traction and gripping to afiling cabinet or desktop, or other underlying surface, to support thefiler 10 and hold the filer 10 and pockets 18 hanging therefrom whilepreventing the filer 10 from sliding off of the filing cabinet or otherunderlying surface. In particular, if the filer 10 were placed on adesktop, with the first portion 12 hanging down, the filer 10 wouldslide off the desktop, and would not be frictionally held in place bythe gripping surface 28, although the magnets 26 could secure the filer10 in place to a metal surface.

In order to utilize the filer, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the filer 10can be positioned on a filing cabinet 30 having a pair of opposedvertically oriented side surfaces 32 a, 32 b and a horizontally orientedtop surface 34. In particular, the filer 10 can be draped over thefiling cabinet 30 such that the majority of the third portion 16 isgenerally horizontally oriented and covers/spans the top surface 34. Inthis orientation, both the first 12 and second 14 portions hangdownwardly from the third portion 16 and are generally verticallyoriented, positioned adjacent to and/or engaging the side surfaces 32 a,32 b of the filing cabinet 30, and not covering the frontsurface/drawers 34 which are slidaby openable to provide access thereto.The filing cabinet 30, or at least the side surfaces 32 a, 32 b orportions thereof can be made of a metal or other ferrous or magnetizablematerial. In this manner, the magnets 26 of the second portion 14 can bemagnetically attracted to the filing cabinet 30 to magnetically engagethe filing cabinet 30 and couple the filer 10 to the filing cabinet 30.

As noted above, the third portion 16 can be made of a relativelyflexible material and can have varying lengths. These properties enablethe filer 10 to be used in conjunction with filing cabinets of varyingwidths. In particular, if a filing cabinet having a width less than thatshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 were to be utilized, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,the flexibility of the third portion 16 enables the outer ends of thethird portion 16 to hang down and be positioned generally verticallyalong the side surfaces 32 a, 32 b of the filing cabinet 30, which alsoenables the first 12 and second 14 portions to be oriented generallyvertically along the side surfaces 32 a, 32 b to retain the filer 10 inplace. The flexibility of the third portion 16 can be particularlyuseful when the second portion 14 is made of a relatively stiffmaterial, since in this case the second portion 14 would not be able toconform to the side surface 32 b without the flexibility provided by thethird portion 16. In addition, as outlined above, the third portion 16can have lengths of between about fourteen inches and about eighteeninches, and in another embodiment between about twelve inches and abouttwenty inches. This range of lengths may be selected such that the thirdportion 16 can span the widths of standard or expected-size filingcabinets or the like, without being so long as to make the filer 10 toolong and unwieldy for use.

In addition, the flexibility of the third portion 16, and the magneticgripping and orientation of the filer 10 about three sides of the filingcabinet 30, enables the filer 10 to be arranged in various positions.For example, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first panel12 can be raised and/or lowered along the surface 32 a, and the filer 10can remain in place after such adjustments. This provides additionalfunctionality to the filer 10 for variety of positioning.

In this manner, the filer 10 provides additional external storagecapability to the filing cabinet 30 or other associated component. Inaddition, the filer 10 provides storage which is immediately and easilyaccessible by a user, without having to open the drawers of the filingcabinet 30. Moreover, although the filer 10 is illustrated as used inconjunction with a filing cabinet 30, it should be understood that thefiler 10 can be used with any of a wide variety of other devices whichcan include at least one ferrous metal (magnetizable) surface or portionthereof including, but not limited to, bookshelves, cubicle walls, toolchests, refrigerators and other appliances, etc.

Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the variousembodiments, it should be understood that modifications and variationsthereof are possible without departing from the scope of the claims ofthe present application.

What is claimed is:
 1. A filing cabinet system comprising: a filingcabinet having a pair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces anda horizontally oriented surface; and a filer positioned on said filingcabinet, said filer having a first portion positioned adjacent to one ofsaid side surfaces, a second portion positioned adjacent to the otherone of said side surfaces, and a third portion positioned on saidhorizontally oriented surface, wherein said first portion includes apocket thereon.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein said second portionincludes a magnet therein or thereon, and wherein said verticallyoriented side surface includes a magnetizable or metal portion and saidmagnet is magnetically attracted to said magnetizable or metal portionto couple said filer to said filing cabinet.
 3. The system of claim 1wherein said third portion is generally flexible.
 4. The system of claim3 wherein said third portion is sufficiently flexible that said thirdportion naturally folds down in a vertically direction when supported ina cantilevered manner.
 5. The system of claim 3 wherein said thirdportion has sufficient flexibility to be positioned on filing cabinetshaving differing widths that are spanned by said third portion, whileenabling said first and second portions to hang generally verticallyalong said side surfaces.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said thirdportion has a length of between about fourteen and about eighteeninches.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein said second portion isgenerally stiff
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein said second portion issufficiently stiff that said second portion is positioned generallyhorizontally when supported in a cantilevered manner.
 9. The system ofclaim 1 wherein said first and third portions both lack a high fractionsurface thereon engaging said filing cabinet.
 10. The system of claim 1wherein said third portion is positioned directly between said first andsecond portions, and directly coupled thereto.
 11. The system of claim 1wherein said first and second portions are oriented generallyvertically, and said third portion is oriented generally horizontally.12. The system of claim 1 wherein said first portion includes aplurality of pockets thereon, said pockets being arranged in anoverlapping manner.
 13. The system of claim 1 wherein said second andthird portions lack any pockets thereon.
 14. The system of claim 1wherein said third portion has a length greater than said secondportion.
 15. A filer system including a filer configured to bepositioned on a device having a pair of opposed, vertically orientedside surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface, the filer comprising:a first portion configured to be positioned adjacent to one of said sidesurfaces, said first portion having at least one pocket thereon; asecond portion configured to be positioned adjacent to the other one ofsaid side surfaces, said second portion including at least one magnettherein or thereon; and a flexible third portion configured to bepositioned on said horizontally oriented surface.
 16. The filer systemof claim 15 wherein said third portion has sufficient flexibility to bepositioned on filing devices having differing widths that are spanned bysaid third portion, while enabling said first and second portions tohang generally vertically along said side surfaces of the device. 17.The filer system of claim 15 further comprising said device having saidpair of opposed, vertically oriented side surfaces and said horizontallyoriented surface, and wherein said first portion is positioned adjacentto one of said side surfaces, said second portion is positioned adjacentto the other one of said side surfaces, and wherein said third portionis positioned on said horizontally oriented surface.
 18. A method forusing a filer comprising: accessing a device having a pair of opposed,vertically oriented side surfaces and a horizontally oriented surface;and positioning a filer on said device, said filer having a firstportion positioned adjacent to one of said side surfaces, a secondportion positioned adjacent to the other one of said side surfaces, anda third portion positioned on said horizontally oriented surface,wherein said first portion includes a pocket thereon.
 19. The method ofclaim 18 wherein said device is a filing cabinet.